I approached this forum as a vehicle to share ideas/ methods/opinions on instructing, therefore I think what is appropriate actions for a gazillion hour charter pilot is essentially not relavent. Of course you would expect experienced pilots to vary their actions to fit the circumstances however I think it is important to point out that new pilots do not have that experience and the habits developed over many hours of flying. With that in mind I think it is important to inculcate good habits in students. One way of doing this is by starting out insisting that a pattern of SOP's always be followed. Later in life you will get to the point , for example, of deciding as you line up " today use of the landing light is not appropriate " . However if you do not start
insisting on its use, my experience is many pilots don't even think about it. The most unfortunate part of this whole debate IMO is my experience that many instructors I have met don't even know what the SOP is for transport category aircraft ground light use is, and have no idea of the reasons why the protocol was developed, so how can they be expected to develop any critical thinking in ther students on this issue. That IMO goes to the heart of the issue of a overall decline in demonstrated airmanship skills I feel I have observed in the last 10 years or so.